Recipes

Jun 14, 2011

A New Gym Class, Red Wine Green Beans and Beet Chips

Tuesday evening, Mariah and I decided to try a new class at East Shore: Abs, Core, and More. We had no idea what to expect and I was honestly afraid for my tummy until she told me it was only a 25-minute class. I got to the gym early and ran a mile (8:10), then walked a 1/2 mile. Then it was time for class.

We walked in and were told to grab a mat, a stability ball, a dumbbell, and a smaller ball. Right when class started, our teacher informed us that she loved this class because she could get away with saying “balls” over and over. Oh, okay. We warmed up, did a few crunches on the ball, and some planks. We also laid on the ball and did some side moves while holding the dumbbell. Later, we did plank pike-ups, and ball passes. For more info, check out these stability ball exercises.

Then we did something really awkward. We straddled the ball and moved up and down on it by pushing the ground with our toes. I could not stop laughing and wondered why this woman would make us do this in public. Awkwardddddddd. After class, I ran an additional mile (8:03) then cooled down for 3 minutes. Then I peaced out because I was hungry.

When I got home, I realized I had so many veggies I needed to cook before I got my 9th CSA box the next day. The first recipe was inspired by Paula Deen’s Honey Balsamic Green Beans. I was shocked to find that one of her recipes didn’t include butter! However, I still made changes. I nixed the balsamic and added wine. Why? Because I like to party. I also nixed the onion powder and used real onions. Why?Because I like onion breath. Duh.

Red Wine, You’re So Fine Green Beans

Ingredients:

16 oz. fresh green beans

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 tbsp. red wine

salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and blanch them for 2 minutes. Immediately remove the beans from the water and rinse with cold water. Drain.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green beans. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, then add the onions and stir again. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Next at the wine, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 5 minutes..

Transfer the beans to a serving bowl and serve.

After I devoured about half of those delicious beans, I made beet chips! These were incredibly easy now want a mandolin slicer so I can make beet and sweet potato chips.

Beet Chips

Ingredients:

2 medium beets, sliced thin

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme

salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350*. Arrange beet slices in a single layer on a cooking sheet. Lay fresh thyme on top.

Bake until slightly crispy, for about 20 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and flip beets. Cook an additional 10-20 minutes until you have reached desired crispness.

Which is your favorite vegetable to cook? You all know that beets are my latest obsession. I need to start making my own frickles! I’m also a huge fan of peas but those don’t need much babying. I’d eat those suckers straight out of the can.

Which vegetable do you despise? RED ONIONS! Gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Uncooked onions in general make me shudder.

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About

Spunky individual with a penchant for culinary delights. Lover of all things pickle-related and photographing what goes in my tummy. Likes? Chick-fil-A, Greek yogurt, beets, fiber, baking, and men who are attractive. Dislikes? Waiting for things to finish baking, bad grammar, slow talkers/walkers, being a mess, and people that take up my personal space. Whether I'm spinning at the gym, whipping up tasty treats, or reviewing a Charleston restaurant with fabulous friends, I'm loving every minute of this life.